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EDITORIAL: Legislature needs to fix Nevada’s probate law

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EDITORIAL: Legislature needs to fix Nevada’s probate law


There needs to be appropriate safeguards protecting the estates of the deceased. It’s clear Nevada doesn’t have them.

The Review-Journal’s Eli Segall and Michael Scott Davidson recently exposed a tragic scandal. Complete strangers are legally selling the houses of deceased men and women in Clark County. After a person dies, an estate often ends up in probate. That’s how the legal system moves assets and settles debts. A key factor in this process is the person who manages the estate.

Nevada law provides a long list of those who may perform that role. Usually, a relative will assume that duty. But the last entry on that list is anyone “legally qualified.”

That’s the opening Estate Administrative Services and Compass Realty &Management used to take control of hundreds of homes. Thomas Moore, the founder of Estate Administration Services, received court permission to administer at least 340 cases. Cynthia “Cyndi” Sauerland with Compass obtained this authority at least 125 times. Between the two of them, they “sold at least around 360 homes through probate court,” the story revealed.

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Sometimes this can be necessary. Abandoned homes can quickly become neighborhood hazards. They can attract squatters and turn into eyesores that lower property values. With a housing shortage, it’s better for the community when abandoned homes return to the market. Some homes in these situations are underwater. Lenders can agree to a short sale, which resolves the loan balance, but doesn’t leave anything for potential heirs.

None of this happens by magic. It takes work by real estate professionals and attorneys. There are legitimate cases where they may get paid even if families receive nothing.

But this process is ripe for abuse, and that’s what the Review-Journal investigation uncovered. Many homes are sold without a competitive bidding process. In one instance, Mr. Moore sold a home to We Flip It LLC. Less than a week later, it flipped the house for almost $30,000 more than it paid. In another case, Mr. Moore received court approval to oversee Tsoghik Khachatryan’s estate. He temporarily forced her husband and kids out of their home before resigning from the case.

In other cases, Mr. Moore paid out more than $900,000 to private entities for “costs listed in court records as foreclosure monitoring, abatement services, abatement fees or just ‘abatement.’ ”

Several other probate attorneys said “they had never heard” of those fees.

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This is an outrage. There are legitimate competing interests in these cases, but the Legislature needs to do a better job of protecting the assets of the deceased and their heirs.



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Nye County Sheriff urges caution after deadly month on rural Nevada roads

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Nye County Sheriff urges caution after deadly month on rural Nevada roads


A string of deadly crashes in and around Pahrump has prompted Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill to push for more safety measures along dark, sidewalk-free roads.

“The worst penalty is death, if you consider that,” McGill said.

The recent deaths include a single-vehicle rollover on State Route 160 during the morning hours of the last Wednesday in January that killed one person and injured another.

Then, into February, two pedestrians were killed in less than three days.

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The first was a 7 p.m. crash on Quarter Horse Avenue. Investigators believe a 2006 Jeep Liberty was driving on the street when it hit a pedestrian, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

A few days later, this last Saturday, state troopers responded to a crash just after sundown at Charleston Park Avenue. A sedan hit a pedestrian, who was also pronounced dead at the scene.

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Nevada State Police investigators are still investigating both pedestrian cases before more details are released.

McGill said the recent crashes were enough to spur action.

“When the third one came out, I was sitting at home and watching TV. I looked at my wife and I said, ‘We got to do something about this,’” McGill said.

McGill is responding with a reflective vest giveaway, pointing to limited infrastructure as a possible factor. He noted a lack of street lights off State Route 160 and no sidewalks inside the community.

“The only light that you have is the ambient light from houses and cars so it is really dark,” McGill said.

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John Treanor of AAA Nevada said poor visibility can quickly turn dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians.

“It is very easy to be confronted with a situation that you cannot see coming because the visibility might be bad,” Treanor said.

Treanor encouraged pedestrians to carry lights and drivers to be prepared if they end up outside their vehicles in dark conditions.

“Having lights on you. Even carrying a flashlight allows something where a driver can see it,” Treanor said. “If you are a driver, make sure you have the right stuff in your car, in case you do get in a situation where you are on the side of the road and now you are in dark. Make sure you have a kit with some reflectors, some lights. Anything the trunk of your car in case you need it.”

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McGill said vigilance is important even in daylight.

“Any time of the day, you have got to be vigilant. You have to keep aware of your surroundings if you are a walker or on a bicycle or if you are the driver,” he said.

Authorities also urged caution as more people may pull off roads in rocky areas along the route toward Death Valley National Park during springtime blooms, increasing the need for drivers and pedestrians to stay alert.

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Mansion on the Nevada Side of Lake Tahoe Swiftly Sells for $46 Million

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Mansion on the Nevada Side of Lake Tahoe Swiftly Sells for  Million


A waterfront mansion on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe just sold for $46 million, less than three weeks after hitting the market. 

The speedy deal marks a departure from the typical U.S. market.

Nationwide, homes took a median 78 days to land a buyer in January, five more than the same time last year and the 22nd straight month of homes taking longer to sell on a year-over-year basis, according to data from Realtor.com. 

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The lavish log cabin-like residence, in Incline Village, listed on Jan. 24 for $47.5 million. It sold 20 days later, on Feb. 13, listing records show. 

The more than 7,000-square-foot residence was built in 2014, and has double-height living spaces, walls of windows, beamed ceilings, fireplaces, and plenty of rustic exposed stone and wood, listing images show. 

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There’s also a gym, a wet bar, a spa, a wine room, an office, two separate game rooms, seven bedrooms and dramatic Lake Tahoe views. Outside, there’s a private sandy beach, multiple decks, a heated driveway and two exterior fireplaces, according to listing information. 

MORE: Visited by Kings and Larger Than Manhattan, Giant Scottish Estate Asks £67 Million

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The seller and the buyer are both limited liability companies, according to property records. Both parties were represented by Jeff Brown of Tahoe Mountain Realty, who declined to comment on the deal. 

The median home price in Incline Village was $1.595 million as of December, a fall of 3.3% from a year earlier, according to data from Realtor.com. Listings, meanwhile, spent an average of 130 days on the market. 



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Green Valley edges Liberty in Class 5A softball — PHOTOS

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Green Valley edges Liberty in Class 5A softball — PHOTOS